The fact that Mats Hummels was not taken into account was the biggest upset on the day when national coach Hansi Flick nominated his squad for the World Cup. The BVB defender himself was bitterly disappointed, and Hummels’ absence from the World Cup squad sparked heated debates across Germany.
On the day of the squad announcement last week, Hansi Flick obviously found it difficult to explain the end of the 2014 world champion. Rather, the national coach praised the Dortmund central defender for his strong performances in recent months, emphasizing how close the decision was ultimately against Hummels and for direct competitors such as Matthias Ginter or Armel Bella-Kotchap.
According to “Sport Bild” information, Flick is said to have ultimately decided to give up the 76-time national player in Qatar.
Hummels is simply not supposed to be the ideal player in central defense in the game system preferred by Flick, which relies on dominant football with a high defensive line, active attack and a lot of speed. It was precisely in these areas that the national coach saw other alternatives as stronger.
In the past few months, the Dortmund co-captain has been convincing, especially in games in which he was deep in the back, where he was able to focus on his undoubtedly outstanding skills in tackles, in aerial duels and opening the game in his own third – for example against Manchester City in the Champions League .
In addition to the sporting arguments, atmospheric reasons also led to the 33-year-old not being nominated. The defensive player’s opinionated interviews, especially after his own defeats, were viewed critically at the DFB, and general director Oliver Bierhoff in particular is said to have been bothered by them.
BVB star waves regular place in defense
Not only in the BVB jersey, but also after international matches, Hummels had caused irritation several times in the past. This was also the case after the World Cup debacle in 2018. According to the media report, his statements are said to have caused “grumbling” internally, which also played a role in the most recent evaluation of the BVB star.
Flick is now working on his optimal World Cup squad without the long-standing national player Hummels. In addition to the seeded Antonio Rüdiger, his Dortmund teammate Niklas Süle is currently the hottest contender for the second position in the center of defence.
Curious: Süle was only the third choice in the central defender hierarchy at Borussia Dortmund behind Mats Hummels and Nico Schlotterbeck, and switched to the right-back position several times.